Hire a Fractional CEO · Fractional CEO Jobs UK
Fractional CEO Jobs · Hire a fractional CEO, or hire a CEO
Hire a fractional CEO — a part-time chief executive, 1–3 days a week, at £800–£1,500 a day on FD Capital’s published band — for founder transitions, scale-ups, PE portfolios and turnarounds. Bring a brief and we come back with a shortlist of 3–5, the IR35 position set out on every one.
- £800–£1,500 a day · FD Capital 2026
- 1–3 days a week
- 3–5 candidates per shortlist
- 5 vetting stages
How a brief runswhat we undertake
- 01Brief30-MINUTE SCOPING CALLDay 0
- 02Shortlist of 3–5VETTED · RATE BENCHMARK · IR35After the brief
- 03InterviewsYOU MEET THE SHORTLISTYour diary
- 04Scoped startFIRST-MONTH OUTCOMES AGREEDYou set the date
- 05Fractional, interim and permanentIR35 POSITION SET OUTOn every brief
Shortlist3–5
In the press
Fast Company 16 leaders on when fractional C-suite hires make sense · 24 Jun 2026
Sixteen leaders in Fast Company disagree on when a fractional C-suite hire makes sense: most back it for a defined mandate, some want full-time ownership where the role needs daily presence. Read it before deciding between a fractional and an interim CEO.
Financial Times The executives going ‘fractional’, not freelance (paywall)
The FT on senior people who now lead inside several companies at once, the portfolio shape most fractional CEOs work in.
15 minutes · video or phone
Book 15 minutes to hire a fractional CEO
Tell us the scope and the days a week. We come back with fractional CEO candidates, their day rates and availability.
- 0115 minutes, video or phone
- 02We scope the role and the days a week
- 03A shortlist of 3–5 after the call
- 04Fractional, interim and permanent briefs
Pick a day that suits · live availability
Fractional CEO jobs · last 3 months
Live Fractional CEO jobs
01/ definition
What is a fractional CEO?
A fractional CEO is a part-time chief executive who runs the company within a defined scope — not a caretaker, not an advisor. Fractional CEO jobs are those roles: the seat, 1–3 days a week. Four ideas define the model.
01 · cadence
A chief executive, 1–3 days a week.
Senior, proven CEO capability across a defined slice of the week, without a full-time salary. FD Capital puts two to three days a week as the most common fractional CEO engagement.
02 · role
Runs the company — not an advisor.
Owns strategy, runs the board, leads the team and allocates capital. A chair or NED governs from outside the seat; a fractional CEO is personally in it.
03 · structure
Engaged on a written scope.
Usually engaged through their own company rather than employed, on a scope that names the outcome, the days and the notice. IR35 status depends on how the engagement runs in practice, and a medium or large client makes the determination.
04 · horizon
A mandate, not a tenure.
Scoped to an outcome — a transition, a turnaround, a value-creation plan — often ending in a clean handover to a permanent CEO. The company defines the outcome; the CEO decides how to achieve it.
02/ one seat, four ways to fill it
Fractional, interim, chair, full-time — who actually runs the company.
A fractional CEO is the same seat — the strategy, the board, the team, the capital allocation — hired by the day instead of by the year. Boards searching for a CEO for hire usually mean one of these four, and the difference that matters most is who is personally in the seat.
PART-TIME · IN THE SEAT
Fractional CEO
One named chief executive, 1–3 days a week, ongoing, accountable for the outcome. FD Capital publishes £800–£1,500 a day.
FULL-TIME · FIXED TERM
Interim CEO
The seat full-time for a fixed term — a departure, a turnaround, a sale. FD Capital quotes £1,200–£2,500 a day full-time. See hire an interim CEO.
GOVERNS · ADVISES
Chair or NED
Leads or sits on the board, holds the executive to account and advises. Not in the seat: the chief executive runs the company.
FIVE DAYS · OPEN-ENDED
Full-time CEO
The permanent appointment. Exec Capital puts SME CEO base at £120,000–£250,000 and mid-market at £200,000–£400,000, before on-costs.
A mandate, not a tenure. If the company needs its chief executive five days a week for the foreseeable future, it is a permanent hire; if it needs one for a fixed stretch, interim; if it needs one for part of the week, fractional. This is our reading of how the terms are used in the UK market, not a published definition.
03/ scope
What a fractional CEO does day to day.
They run the leadership cadence, compressed into their contracted days. What a fractional CEO owns, and what the leadership team and advisers carry.
- Strategy & the operating plan
- Board meetings & the board relationship
- Executive team management
- Capital allocation
- Investor relations & fundraising
- Key hires to the leadership team
- The value-creation plan
- Culture & company communication
- Functional delivery (finance, ops, sales)
- Line management below the leadership team
- Routine reporting production
- Project-level execution
- Recruitment below the leadership team
- Company secretarial & statutory filings
04/ rates
Fractional CEO day rates, UK 2026.
Published figures only, each with its source. FD Capital publishes a single UK band for fractional and part-time CEOs and no median; Exec Capital prices two days a week slightly lower. No source publishes regional CEO day rates, so none are shown.
- Fractional / part-time CEO£800–£1,500FD Capital 2026
- Interim CEO, full-time£1,200–£2,500FD Capital 2026
- Interim CEO, SME / mid-market£1,000–£1,800Exec Capital 2026
- Interim CEO, listed / PE-backed£1,800–£3,500Exec Capital 2026
Two days a week across a 46-week year at FD Capital’s band is £73,600–£138,000 in day fees — our arithmetic (92 days × £800–£1,500). FD Capital puts a part-time CEO at two days a week at typically 20–40% of the cost of a full-time permanent CEO at an equivalent level (FD Capital).
05/ the maths
Part-time CEO cost.
Model what a part-time chief executive costs against a full-time CEO — or, switched to “I’m a CEO”, what one fractional mandate bills in a year.
£1,000 a day is within the published band for a UK fractional CEO (£800–£1,500, FD Capital 2026).
Year-one cost
£92,000
2 d/wk · 46 weeks · day fees, before tax
Fractional costs less in year one£100,545
Book a 15-minute call →Our arithmetic, indicative. Full-time CEO = £192,545: the £168,083 Glassdoor UK median CEO pay (via Exec Capital) plus employer NI at 15% above the £5,000 threshold. Excludes pension, bonus, equity and a search fee; Exec Capital puts mid-market CEO base at £200,000–£400,000, so for a larger company the gap is wider.
06/ comparison
Fractional CEO vs the alternatives.
How the fractional model compares with an interim CEO, an executive chair or NED, an advisor and a full-time appointment. Read the “in the seat” row first — it decides the others. On the division of responsibilities between a chair and a chief executive: FRC, UK Corporate Governance Code.
→ Interim runs the whole company full-time for a period; fractional supplies the same seat part-time, often alongside a founder. For full-time cover, hire an interim CEO.
→ A chair holds the chief executive to account; a fractional CEO is the chief executive. An executive chair can bridge a gap, but combining oversight and execution weakens governance.
→ An advisor tells the founder what they would do; a fractional CEO does it.
→ FD Capital puts a part-time CEO at two days a week at typically 20–40% of the cost of a full-time permanent CEO at an equivalent level — the saving narrows as days rise.
07/ the contract
CEO for hire: how a fractional CEO engagement is contracted.
A fractional CEO engagement is written around a scope — the outcome, the days a week, the horizon and the notice. IR35 status depends on how the engagement runs in practice, a medium or large client makes the determination, and a statutory directorship brings office-holder duties — take advice before accepting one. Consult a tax adviser · gov.uk/CEST · off-payroll rules: HMRC IR35 guidance.
01 / CONTROL
Control of the “how”
HMRC looks at who decides how, when and where the work is done — whether the company sets the outcome or directs the method.
✓ In the contract02 / SUBSTITUTION
Right of substitution
HMRC looks at whether the CEO could send a suitably qualified substitute, and whether that right is genuine in practice.
✓ In the contract03 / MUTUALITY
Mutuality of obligation
HMRC looks at whether the company must offer work beyond the agreed scope, and whether the CEO must accept it.
✓ In the contract08/ hiring
When to hire a fractional CEO.
Four situations where a fractional chief executive is often the right answer. Each is a scope question, not a status question — the seat is filled for the outcome that needs it.
Which sounds like you?
The founder moves to chair or into a product role but still owns significant equity. A fractional CEO leads the company without threatening their influence.
- → Professional leadership, founder keeps equity
Post-Series A or B, the board and investors need CEO-level leadership, but a full-time chief executive package is not yet justifiable.
- → CEO leadership before a full-time package
One fractional CEO leads more than one portfolio company, implementing the value-creation plan across each.
- → One CEO, several companies
Senior intervention while the permanent CEO search runs in parallel.
- → Stabilise now, search later
09/ the buyer’s guide
How to hire a fractional CEO.
Scope the mandate. Define the outcome — a transition, a turnaround, a value-creation plan — the days a week the seat needs, and the horizon. A fractional CEO briefed against “what must be true when you leave” is easier to hire and to measure.
Bring the brief. Stage, sector, board context and budget band, set against the published figures above. The brief is read by a person, not parsed by an intake form. Submit a CEO brief.
Take the shortlist. 3–5 candidates, each with day rate, availability, stage fit and IR35 position set out. You interview, and we run a mandate rehearsal with the finalists: first 90 days, cadence, capital allocation.
Agree the contract. Scope, days a week and notice in writing, with the IR35 position set out — the client makes the status determination on how the engagement will run — and statutory-officer questions taken to a tax adviser.
Hire a part-time Chief Executive — what it costs
A part-time CEO at two days a week runs £6,400–£13,000 a month on FD Capital’s figures — typically 20–40% of the cost of a full-time permanent CEO at an equivalent level (FD Capital, Part-Time CEO Costs UK 2026). Exec Capital puts two days a week at £5,000–£10,000 a month (Exec Capital). Model your own days in the calculator above.
CEO recruitment for a permanent hire
A permanent CEO hire usually runs through a retained search. UK retained search fees run 25–35% of first-year total compensation, with £30,000–£40,000 minimum fees common at established firms (Headhunters.co.uk, March 2026); Executive Recruit puts CEO searches at 30–33% (Executive Recruit, June 2026).
We recruit fractional, interim and permanent CEOs: a shortlist of 3–5, each with day rate or pay, availability and IR35 position set out. Many boards bring in a fractional or interim CEO first and use them to write the permanent brief. To compare the search firms that also run permanent CEO recruitment, see executive search firms; for how we run ours, see our fractional recruitment agency.
10/ recruitment
Fractional CEO recruitment: what the board decides first.
Fractional CEO recruitment is a board decision before it is a search. Agree who has authority to make the appointment, what the CEO may decide without the board, and whether the appointment is executive only or also as a statutory director. That last choice matters most: a statutory director is registered at Companies House and owes the general duties of a director under the Companies Act 2006 — duties that apply whether or not the director is active in the role (Companies House: being a company director).
A fractional CEO usually holds other mandates, so deal with conflicts at the start. The Companies Act requires a director to avoid situations in which their interests conflict, or may conflict, with the company’s, and allows the directors of a private company to authorise such a situation where the constitution does not prevent it (Companies Act 2006, duty to avoid conflicts of interest). Ask each finalist to declare their other roles, and minute the board’s decision.
Paper the directorship and the engagement separately. The IoD notes that directors are office holders, that HMRC treats payments for the office itself as subject to PAYE, and that other consultancy work should sit on a separate contract (IoD: what is a director?). Take advice before anyone signs. Then run the search: a shortlist of 3–5 and the checks in how we vet.
11/ part-time ceo
Part-time CEO: employed part-time, or engaged by the day.
A part-time CEO can be hired two ways, and the difference is legal, not cosmetic. Employed part-time, they are an employee on reduced hours, paid through PAYE, and protected as a part-time worker — no less favourable treatment than an equivalent full-timer on pay rates, pension, holidays and training, applied pro rata where appropriate. Engaged by the day through their own company, they are a fractional CEO: an invoice, a written scope, and IR35 status that depends on how the engagement runs in practice.
Employment suits a single company that wants its chief executive on fixed days, perhaps with a view to going full-time; the fractional route suits a mandate with an end point and an executive who holds more than one role. Part-time CEO jobs are advertised both ways, so read the terms, not the title. For the cost, see part-time CEO cost; for full-time, fixed-term cover, hire an interim CEO.
Either way, if the part-time CEO also joins the board, a shorter week does not shorten the duties: they apply to every director (Companies House).
12/ vetting
How we vet fractional CEOs.
The CEO-specific checks inside our five-stage vetting process, undertaken on every brief before a candidate reaches your shortlist. Fractional buyers pay for pattern recognition, not potential. Directorship history is public record: Companies House.
- 01
Directorship check
Companies House directorship history read against the CV: appointments, resignations and the companies behind them.
PUBLIC RECORD - 02
P&L read
Verified CEO or MD tenure with owned P&L. We read the numbers, not the narrative.
TRACK RECORD - 03
Board-level references
Two references from chairs or investors who sat across the table — not colleagues.
REFERENCES - 04
Mandate rehearsal
A structured session on a scenario like yours: first 90 days, cadence, capital allocation.
DEEP-DIVE - 05
Shortlist
3–5 candidates, each with day rate, availability, stage fit and IR35 position set out.
SHORTLIST OF 3–5
13/ titles
Fractional managing director, part-time CEO — the same seat by other names.
In UK SMEs and family-owned businesses the chief executive is usually titled managing director, so the same mandate is advertised as a fractional MD as often as a fractional CEO. The shape is identical: in the seat, 1–3 days a week, scoped to an outcome, with the IR35 position set out on every brief.
Part-time CEO usually signals consistent days with a single company, while fractional CEO usually signals a portfolio across more than one client. FD Capital publishes the same £800–£1,500 a day band under both names; the market uses both loosely, so read the mandate, not the label.
What a chief executive earns full-time, and what the fractional and interim alternatives cost, is covered source by source on the fractional CEO salary page.
CEO v managing director
In a UK private company the two titles often describe the same job: the person who runs the business day to day and answers to the board. Larger groups tend to keep CEO for the top executive and use managing director for the head of a subsidiary or division. Neither title is the same thing as being a statutory director, which is an office registered at Companies House whatever the job title — and it brings its own duties, so take advice before a fractional hire accepts one.
14/ guide
How to become a fractional CEO in the UK.
The path from permanent to portfolio, in five steps.
- 01
Bank the track record.
A substantial leadership record, including P&L ownership at CEO or MD level. Fractional buyers pay for pattern recognition, not potential.
BEFORE YOU START - 02
Define the niche and stage.
Sector plus company stage — “SaaS, Series A–B” beats “growth companies”. Your existing network already knows your record; start there.
WEEK 1 - 03
Set the rate band.
Anchor to the published band: £800–£1,500 a day for a fractional or part-time CEO (FD Capital), with interim work higher — £1,000–£3,500 a day on Exec Capital’s figures. Quote a range, hold the floor.
WEEK 1–2 - 04
Set up to contract.
Form a limited company, understand what HMRC looks at — control, substitution, mutuality of obligation — and check each engagement against CEST on its own facts; take advice on office-holder edge cases before accepting a directorship.
WEEK 2–4 - 05
Get on the boards that matter.
Register with fractional specialists, keep your availability current, and work your network alongside them.
ONGOING
15/ coverage
Where the UK’s fractional CEO jobs actually are.
Fractional CEO roles follow the UK’s scale-up, PE and mid-market hubs, and much of the work is remote or hybrid. No source publishes regional CEO day rates or a regional split of demand, so none is shown.
Remote fractional CEO jobs
Leadership travels better than it used to: board meetings, investor conversations and the weekly executive cadence all survive a hybrid rhythm.
Many mandates settle into remote for the working cadence and in the room for the board meeting, the leadership offsite and the crunch weeks. That is why remote fractional roles across every function are worth watching alongside the CEO board.
16/ questions
Fractional CEO questions, answered.
The questions people ask about hiring a fractional CEO and about fractional CEO work.
Book 15 minutes · shortlist of 3–5
Bring the brief. We architect the team.
A shortlist of 3–5. Five-stage vetting. IR35 position on every brief.
For hiring companies
Book a call or submit a CEO brief; we come back with a shortlist of 3–5 candidates.
For fractional CEOs
Browse live fractional and interim CEO roles from our jobs feed, or get in touch about the searches we run.
